The cast of #DGMilennials performing and walking in this season's Dolce & Gabbana menswear show have a combined number of 60 million followers on Instagram, and 35 million on Chinese social media platform Weibo.
20-year-old singer Austin Mahone weaved in and out of the proceeding models whilst performing a series of happy-go-lucky pop tracks. Like everyone else on the runway, he had hand picked what he was going to wear. Super slick and apologetically decadent, his tailored suit was set off with a thin gold chain layered over a tie - and he sang into a gold microphone.
A large candelabra stood at the bottom of a set of curved stone steps. As the entourage descended, there was a gothic and glamorous Cruel Intentions vibe. Overdressing looked nonchalantly normal here. Sarah Michelle Geller's character was present, as girls wore nothing but a black camisole or bodice under a formal coat, whilst Austin Mahone embodied a rather more chipper version of Ryan Phillippe's character - chancing his arm with a fair few of the female cast members who walked by his makeshift stage. Shorter girls with curvy bums was a never-seen-before proportion on an Italian runway. These girls might be Internet superstars, but a welcome Molto Latino realness was felt.
Despite an Instagram screenful of young women on the runway, the show's title The New Prince reminded us that this was supposed to be a menswear show. This house was one of the first to create twin collections, with a core theme pivoting across both the female and male runway. Bringing everyone together for a party makes total sense here.
The new generation of Dolce & Gabbana royalty were this season adorned with gold metallic jacquards, liquid moiré pink jackets - and even gold crowns. There was a snoozy hip hop element to the show, with brocade patchworked puffa coats worn over pyjamas and slides, and hoodies worn with polar bear teddies-cum-backpacks. This would have been one hell of a sleepover. The Jaden Smith-style mop top dreads boasted by one young black model reminded one of Jean-Michel Basquiat - and this artist's connection with the crown motif too. This collection will come into store the same time as the first large-scale UK retrospective of Basquiat will appear at London's Barbican. Not sure if such a reference is on the duo's radar - but it was observed nonetheless. A T-Shirt with a cartoon illustration of Stefano and Dominico's heads - both wearing crowns - saw this jaunty pair also "tagged" as little princes. And the kings of viral marketing too.
